Tag Archives: Maui

Volcano Adventures: Best Activities on Maui’s Mount Haleakala

June 17, 2014

Drive It

Haleakala Maui, Hawaii, Maui’s Mount Haleakala

The Haleakala summit sits at an elevation of 10,000 feet, which can provide a breath-taking contrast when driving up from sea level. Photo: iStock

Haleakala is one mountain you won’t have to climb, thanks to a paved highway that zigzags its way up to the rim of the crater, which sits more than 10,000 feet above sea level. It’s a 90-minute drive from Lahaina or the Kihei area, so you’ll have to get up early if you want to watch the sunrise from up top. And dress warm because fog and early morning temperatures around 40 degrees will greet you. Air temps usually climb into the 60s by afternoon. A trip to catch the sunset is another equally popular option.

Hike It

Aside from the road leading to the summit, the remainder of Haleakala National Park is preserved in a natural state and can only be accessed by foot. You’ll find trails for all levels, from short paths, along the summit rim suitable for all ages, to all-day and overnight descents into the lunar- like interior of the crater that are only for the fit and well prepared. On any hike, keep in mind that you are starting at an altitude of as much as 10,000 feet, where hydration and sun protection shouldn’t be overlooked.

Bike It

Cyclists looking for a challenge can take on all or part of the 38-mile route from sea to summit. The climb is steady, but grades are manageable rather than extreme. High performance rental bikes are available in case you don’t want to ship your own ride. Far more popular—and less demanding—are the shuttle-up/drive-down excursions offered by several tour companies. After a van ride to the summit to admire the view, the 25-mile downhill run begins at the park entrance. Dress warm, and if you aren’t keen on the 3:30 a.m. wake-up call required for the sunrise tour, opt for the mid-morning ride, or rent bikes and a rooftop carrier and stage a self-guided descent.

Ride It

For many years, horseback tours included trail rides into the crater. Currently, routes have shifted to the greener outer slopes. Photo: iStock.

Saddle up to explore the lower slopes of the volcano at one of two working cattle ranches. These rides take you through pastures with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean far below and into shaded groves of eucalyptus, koa and ohia trees. Reservations are usually needed, as these are popular rides.

Zip It

Zip-line and canopy bridge tours are Maui favorites, and several of the best courses are located on the wooded lower slopes of Haleakala. These tours make a good add-on after a trip to the summit, as they are located near the base of the park’s highway and typically take a couple of hours to complete.

Fly It

If you are standing on the peak of the volcano and feel an urge to leap into space, seek professional help. The experts take off from the top, but you’ll actually need to move a bit downslope to harness up for a tandem paraglide adventure. The views will still be amazing. Paragliding, which is a cross between parachuting and hang gliding, begins with a short downhill run followed by a soaring descent that can last up to a 15 minutes.

Camp It

Hosmer Grove, on the wooded middle slopes of Mount Haleaka provides campers with a memorable backdrop. Photo: Brad Scott/iStock

Intrepid back country explorers who obtain permits can camp or stay in the wilderness cabins located deep within Haleakala National Park, but they’ll have to carry everything on their back—including water. For a more civilized take on tenting, you can drive to the Hosmer Grove campground, which sits just below the summit entrance and has 50 sites with water and no-frills bathrooms.

JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Oahu Hawaii

Hawaii, Hawaii-Big Island, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Oahu, Play, Trip Ideas

Families and Fairways: Hawaii’s Top Beachfront Golf Resorts

April 28, 2014

Oahu

Stay At: JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Play At: Ko Olina’s immaculately-maintained par 72 consistently ranks in the top 75 resort courses worldwide. As a bonus, there are a half dozen more first-class courses within a few minutes of the resort. Why Here: Sitting on Oahu’s sunnier western shore, the Ko Olina resort is within a half-hour drive of major attractions and Honolulu. Located ocean-side and shouldering the northernmost lagoon, the property provides panoramic water views, a range of water sports, spa services and walking access to the Ko Olina resort district. Another Favorite: Turtle Bay Resort is perched dramatically on a point of land that delivers ocean views from all rooms. You’ll find a top-rated golf course, a pair of great beaches and proximity to North Shore destinations and adventures.

Maui

Grand Wailea, Hawaii's best beachfront golf resorts

Aquatic elements at the Grand Wailea include adult and family pools, a water park and an expansive beach. Photo: Grand Wailea

Stay At: Grand Wailea Play At: Wailea’s trio of courses—Blue, Gold and Emerald—provide play that ranges from comfortable to challenging, but rarely frustrating. Why Here: Dominant views of Wailea Beach, ranked as one of Hawaii’s best beaches, are breathtaking from this Waldorf Astoria resort. Pool options include the signature Hibiscus pool for relaxation and a sprawling family pool complex and water park, with slides, rope swings and more. Everything you want can be found within the expansive resort, but you are also centrally located for day trips around Maui. Another Favorite: Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is a prime choice if you prefer a north shore location. Sitting above Honokahau Bay, it is surrounded by green lawns and the fairways of its two PGA-worthy courses, Plantation Course and scenic Bay Course.

Hawaii

Dramatic vistas, such as the South Course’s famous 15th hole, await golfers at Mauna Lani Bay. Photo: Mauna Lani Bay Resort

Stay At: Mauna Lani Bay Play At: The resort’s two scenic ocean-side courses, North and South, offer championship lay, plus there’s a junior- and novice-friendly nine-hole course. Why Here: It sits on a magnificent stretch of beach, with most rooms having at least partial Pacific Ocean views. In addition to golf, there’s an indoor/outdoor luxury spa, tennis club, an excellent fitness center and one of the island’s best restaurants, the Canoe House. Children’s programs include cultural activities and eco adventures as well as water sports. Another Favorite: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, an upscale yet tastefully subdued property on gorgeous grounds, is adjacent to the Jack Nicklaus-signature Hualalai Golf Course. Its refined yet family friendly, with numerous activities for youngsters and teens.

Kauai

Located on the sunny side of the island, the Grand Hyatt Kauai offers activities and amenities for all ages. Photo: Hyatt Hotels

Stay At: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa Play At: Poipu Bay Golf Course, the resort’s championship links-style ocean course that consistently ranks in golf experts’ top-100 polls, is where you want to tee off. Spectacular vistas are mated with conveniences such as in-cart sat-nav systems for exact yardage information. Why Here: Located on the drier south shore, the Grand Hyatt Kauai is known for is ideal blend of upscale adult pampering and active, age-appropriate children’s activities. You’ll find multiple dining options from casual to memorable, the island’s largest spa, on- and off-site recreation programs, a white sand beach, saltwater lagoons and winding lazy-river pools with waterfalls and grottoes. Another Favorite: St. Regis Princeville, with its manicured grounds and oceanfront views, is the showcase property of the north-shore Princeville resort area. It’s home to the freshly-renovated Makai Golf Club and is just down the road from the award-winning Prince Golf Course.

Lanai

The Challenge at Manele Bay plays along the edge of towering lava cliffs. Shown here is the scenic 11th hole. Photo: Four Seasons Lanai

Stay Here: Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay Play Here: The resort’s Challenge at Manele golf course delivers dramatic cliffside play that includes one of the most-photographed holes in golf: the par-3 12th hole. Scenery aside, it’s a demanding round of target-style golf with multiple carries over the island’s natural lava rock terrain. Why Here: This is Lanai’s premier oceanfront resort, sitting above the island’s finest beach and the underwater nature preserve at Hulopoe Bay. Several exceptional restaurants for the adults, beach games, surfing lessons and a teen center make it a good choice for a family vacation. Another Favorite: The Lodge at Koele is Lanai’s other Four Seasons resort. It sits in the mid-island highlands, with commanding views and immaculate landscaping. In addition to playing the Experience at Koele golf course, guests enjoy a wealth of hiking, horseback and off-roading adventures.

Hawaii, Maui, Plan, Trip Ideas

Maui: 10 Reasons to Go

April 28, 2014

1 A Little Bit Country

Maui blends world-class resort amenities with open spaces. It’s larger than Oahu, but has one-eighth as many people. Save for the towns of Kahului and Lahaina, and the resort areas along the western shores, it is an island of pasture, farmlands and wild spaces. Haleakala National Park alone encompasses nearly 8 percent of the entire island.

2 Altitude Adjustment

Maui’s towering Haleakala volcano not only creates sunny rain shadows for the resorts and beaches on the island’s west coast, it also provides an elevated playground where you can hang glide, horseback ride, coast down a volcano on a bicycle or hike to lava caves, rainforests and waterfalls. Greeting the sunrise from atop the crater summit is a popular ritual, but one that will have you getting out of bed before four o’clock to make the drive, and bundling up against 40-degree temperatures up top.

3 30 Miles of Beaches

Ranging from wild and sporting to serene and scenic, Maui has a beach for everyone. The island has more than 30 miles of sandy strands, ranging from expansive crescents to small swaths tucked into protective coves. Sands come in colors from black to gold to white and even red. Tiny Paako Beach, aka Secret Cove, is a favorite site for oceanfront weddings.

4 Easy Arrivals

Maui’s Kahului Airport provides non-stop flights to nine U.S. gateways, so there’s no time lost transferring through Oahu. If island hopping is part of the vacation plan, there are daily flights to Oahu, Kauai and the island of Hawaii, as well as ferry service to the islands of Lanai and Molokai.

5 Whales

The world’s largest mammals come from all parts of the Pacific Ocean to breed in the waters of the Hawaiian Islands, and one of the best places to see breaching humpbacks is in the Auau Channel, near Maui’s northwest corner. Whale-watching season runs from early January through the end of March, with tour boats leaving Lahaina’s harbor daily for a 15-minute cruise to the prime observation areas.

6 620 curves, 59 bridges

The highway to Hana winds along Maui’s verdant eastern shore, with ocean views, waterfalls and enough photo ops to overload your camera’s memory card. Though the map shows a one-way drive of just 45 miles from Paia to Hana, plan on spending a full day for a there-and-back excursion. You’ll need the extra time for numerous scenic stops and to ease passengers through the hairpin turns in comfort.

7 Homegrown

Maui’s sun-washed western slopes are fertile territory for organic farming, and the island’s bounty doesn’t escape the notice of local chefs. The farm-to-table food movement is growing—literally—and fresh-sourced ingredients are finding their way into kitchens across the island. Several farmers offer tours and workshops, and some even provide on-property accommodations for those seeking to indulge their green thumbs.

8 Wind Riders

Sites like Hookipa Beach draw the world’s best windsurfers and kiteboarders to play in the surf and steady trade winds. The Aloha Classic is one of the largest annual windsurfing events, running for two weeks in late October to early November, but competitions continue on throughout the winter season. For top-level kiteboarding action, catch the KSP World Championships in late November.

9 Made in the Shade

Shading an area the size of a city block, Lahaina’s courthouse banyan tree provides a shaded venue for local events that include art festivals and craft bazaars. Lahaina itself is worth a day of exploration. The first capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, this port of call has seen Polynesian warriors, whalers and missionaries come and go. To get the full story, take a walk on the Lahaina Historic Trail, which runs through the town’s two historic districts near Front Street.

10 Sweet Stuff

Maui is the only Hawaiian island that is still a significant producer of sugar, and cane fields cover some 37,000 acres of the ‘central valley. As part of the harvest process, these fields are burned before the cane is cut, creating dramatic plumes of smoke that can be seen from the coast. Though not a must-see, the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum will certainly interest history buffs, while the youngsters may clamor for a ride on the Sugar Cane Train that chugs along the coast from Lahaina to Puukolii.